Claimed to have been used for at least 4,000 years now as an alternative for medicine in China, there seems to be no other food or drink has as much benefits in terms of health as green tea. Since the ancient times, the Chinese have been benefiting from the medicinal benefits of this miraculous drink that range from treating simple headaches to a more complicated condition such as depression. In our world today, many scientific studies from across continents have already provided sufficient pieces of evidence on the seemingly endless health benefits of green tea. Following are just a few of the illnesses which green tea is claimed to help cure: cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, high cholesterol levels, cardiovascular impairments, infections, and impaired immune infection.
You may be wondering what is in this drink that makes it very special? Well, the answer is because green tea is rich in EGCG or epigallocatechin gallate. This is one anti-oxidant that is known to be powerful as it not only inhibits spread and growth of cancer cells but it actually kills these fatal cells without touching and harming the healthy tissue. Aside from that, EGCG was also proven to be effective in bringing down LDL cholesterol levels, and thwarting any formation of blood clots which is not normal and usually leads to stroke and heart attack.
You may also wonder what sets green tea apart from all other Chinese teas, and what are its advantages? The answer is in how green tea is processed. Unlike black and oolong tea leaves that are fermented, green tea leaves are steamed. Steaming stops the EGCG compound from oxidation whereas fermentation leads to EGCG being converted to different compounds which are less effective in prevention and fighting against the various diseases like those mentioned earlier.
Apart from its medicinal help, it was discovered that green tea is also effective in weight control. A study done in November 1999 found out that the participants who was given both caffeine and green tea was able to burn more calories versus those that were given only caffeine. Another use of green tea which was later on discovered was its help in the prevention of tooth decay. It was found out that apart from it being able to destroy bacteria to avoid cases of food poisoning, it also has the capacity to destroy those bacteria which leads to dental plaque. Currently, several more studies are being done on the other possible benefits of green tea.
After hearing about all the positive things about the drink, I'm pretty sure you are interested to know whether it has negative side effects to those who take it in. As of this writing, no other negative side effects were recorded apart from possibility of acquiring insomnia because of its caffeine ingredient. But the good news is, green tea still contains less caffeine than coffee.
So how much do you need to consume, to feel its benefits? It actually depends. A good 5 cups would be ideal. To learn more about green tea and its health benefits, visit http://meditate.com.au
The author is a health care specialist that deals studies on the subject of alternative medicine.
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